Paleocene

Goodbye blue skies hello smoke. The light is so strange in the early AM and dusk. That orange hue.

Steamy! Mowed the lawn this morning, hoping for some tropical rains.

Well, hopefully the weakest trees/limbs already got cleaned out by those storms last week? Either way, hoping for some gentle deform band action here in lower moco.

Strategically heading to Maine for 10 days starting Saturday, so, hoping I come back in time for the next cool cycle

Open windows? In late June? Inside the beltway? What reality is this

They're much quieter this morning in Silver Spring. Peak was definitely ~2 weeks ago.

I have been wondering about this. Any ecologists or entomologists on the board? I think it's safe to assume that paving streets and building structures removes their habitat and reduces their numbers, but what's the ideal cicada habitat? Is it dense forest? Or do they prefer more open, meadow-tree boundary zones? I haven't had a chance to go out for a hike or anything... what are they like in the woods? They seem to do just fine in the mostly tree-covered suburbs. Do they do better with specific trees? So many cicada questions, so little time

Yesterday I had my son and his friend (second graders) at a neighborhood park. They noticed a young maple tree (15 feet ish) was covered with cicadas. Naturally, they grabbed the trunk and shook it as hard as possible. It was quite a spectacle - no guarantee of accuracy but at least 50 cicadas blasted off in all directions, shouting their displeasure. Hilarious!

For posterity, this was the noise level in my backyard around lunchtime yesterday: https://streamable.com/o83pag I've been poking around with a decibel meter on my phone (no idea how accurate it is) in the neighborhood and under certain trees have been getting readings as high as 55-60 lol.

A nice pleasant cicada song this morning through my open windows. Yesterday I noticed they chilled out in the hot afternoon hours -- less singing. Here's another vid that I took today: https://streamable.com/1mj738 A bit louder than yesterday?

If you're wondering what it sounds like, check out this video I took on my cell phone this AM. This was walking back on a neighborhood street after taking my kid to elementary school. Volume up! https://streamable.com/5wd0ga

They are singing in silver spring today!

Don't mind the warmth after a pretty mild/cool spring, but could use some rain. Sunny lawns in my nhood are drying out already! Of course, I'll probably be eating those words when we have a pattern flip in June or something and rains for 3 weeks straight

We prolly have similar microclimates, my yard has holes near trees, but I haven't seen any live ones. My yard is mostly shaded by two large poplar trees though. In warmer spots around the 'hood (that get full day sun) we have spotted a few on the trees.

Nice, I have a 430 outdoors at a brewery in silver spring. Hope it holds off til at least 6

Was doing some transplanting on Saturday... guess who was chilling about 6" down? Crunchy bois. I have noticed small holes at local parks, but I haven't seen any out and about yet.

I think this has been one of the best april's in my memory for the inner burbs. Not hot, not too wet, decent amount of sun. 10/10

Planning a weekend trip to Luray in two weeks. Haven't been for a long while. Brewery/distillery/vineyard recommendations, if you got 'em!

It's a very appropriate April morning here in Silver Spring. 52, and there were some gentle showers before dawn.

75 and gorgeous in silver spring for my 2nd graders first outdoor soccer practice. feels pretty good to be in the world right now!

I saw my first one of the season earlier this week at a park in silver spring. I was under the impression that they hibernate but I now realize I've never looked that up!

Yeah I had similar thoughts as to your last paragraph there. When I was in a CVS in Glenmont to get my first shot (10 days ago), I was pretty sure that was the most people I had been in a building with at the same time since prior to March 12th, 2020. And most were there to get the vaccine.

Snowdrops now going back from whence they came; crocuses sighted everywhere; daffodils emerging and in sunny yards, out. Trees are getting ready too: noticeable budding, particularly on maples. Took the fam down to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary on the Patuxent River today, in southern Anne Arundel. I highly recommend it if you live within 45 minutes or so, great kid-friendly easy hikes and views. It was an interesting case study in the urban heat island. Here in Silver Spring we have way more budding trees, compared to down there, which is about 15 miles south. The whole area down there is probably cooled by the water; my yard is heated by concrete, glass, asphalt, and of course the sewer network :-D

Da heck is this front about to roll thru? It's SO DARK outside

Sweet map, @mappy, thanks for putting that together for us. I'm surprised that we have so little representation from Southern MD and the eastern shore. Also surprised by the relatively few folks in lower moco / inside the beltway PG